GM CEO: Next-gen Chevy Volt could cost up to $10,000 less than current model

Hoping to charge up the sales numbers for the Chevrolet Volt, General Motors CEO Don Akerson says the next gen of the plug-in hybrid will be a lot less expensive than the current model.

Speaking at the Brainstorm Green conference in Laguna Niguel, California, the executive said the next Volt will sell for about $7,000 to $10,000 less than the current $39,145 model (pictured) with the same amount of standard equipment, reports Left Lane news.

The cheaper cost could be a major boost for the sales and profitability of the Chevy Volt, which Akerson says GM currently loses money on with every unit sold, according to Left Lane.

Akerson told conference attendees the next Volt, which is expected to go on sale in 2015 as a 2016 model, will also be much lighter than the current model, which weighs 3,781 pounds.

Left Lane reports that Akerson didn’t say exactly how GM plans to pull off the weight reduction or lower cost, but it could likely be due to plans to use a new platform developed specifically for plug-in hybrids.